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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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Namgung-Woo’s demand was, in no small part, quite excessive.
However, Myorin had no choice.
He wasn’t openly demanding the incantations or secret manuals of the Qingjing Sect’s martial arts or sorcery, but just wanted to confirm what kind of sorcery it was and how strong it was.
The Azure Sky Group Myorin knew was a wanderer group, and it was natural to conduct basic background checks and skill tests on those trying to join a wanderer group.
Besides, it’s the thirsty person who digs the well.
The desperate one right now wasn’t Namgung-Woo, but Myorin herself.
“Right now?”
“We can actually confirm it later, little by little, so I want to hear about the sorcery first. Especially that space-traversing sorcery. How can you use something like that consecutively?”
After the fight with Li Zi-long, Namgung-Woo had stayed at the Hebei Peng Family and inquired about sorcery here and there.
The Hebei Peng Family, who had dabbled in sorcery to treat Peng Ye-ryeong, had quite a deep understanding.
According to what Namgung-Woo found out, sorcery seemed omnipotent, but it was by no means so.
Sorcery was largely composed of three things.
Chants uttered by mouth, material elements for the sorcery called ritual implements, and based on these, the ritualistic act that actualized it.
Taking Li Zi-long as an example, the altar he built on Mount Wansui was the ritual implement, the incantations he recited were the chants, and forming hand seals and moving Ki to manifest the sorcery was the ritualistic act.
Therefore, sorcery had a broader range of applications than martial arts, but it was safe to say it had almost no instantaneous activation like martial arts.
It was no exaggeration to say that the reason sorcerers weren’t actively utilized in Murim fights was because the sorcery casting couldn’t keep up with the speed of martial artists, who possessed superhuman swiftness.
Top-tier sorcerers like Dongfang Huo or Li Zi-long could overcome such limitations to some extent, but even for them, learning martial arts to cope with the speed of martial artists was essential.
However, Myorin didn’t seem to be at that level, yet she cast sorcery even faster than them.
How?
If he had seen properly with Ever-Clear Vision, he might have known, but at the time, Namgung-Woo’s mind was focused on the Five Yin Demonic Emperor and his inner enlightenment, so he hadn’t been able to confirm.
Myorin, noticing that Namgung-Woo had a basic background knowledge of sorcery, explained simply.
“It’s because I can omit the ritual implements and ritualistic acts.”
As she said that, Myorin completely removed the Daoist robe she had been half-wearing.
At that, gasps of “Wh-what—!” erupted, but when Myorin turned her body and showed her back, the sounds stopped due to a different kind of shock.
On the upper part of Myorin’s back, specifically around her shoulder blades, a tattoo resembling the wings of a phoenix was engraved.
The tattoo, engraved on her white back that felt almost pale, was like looking at a masterpiece painting.
“It’s called a Spell Inscription. Based on special materials like the Chastity Cinnabar Seal, sorcery is added, and it’s engraved on the appropriate acupoints on the human body. It replaces the ritual implements and ritualistic acts, making it possible to cast sorcery with just chants.”
One might think, if there was such a thing, why didn’t other sorcerers use it, but the Spell Inscription was a secret among secrets of the Qingjing Sect, whose lineage dated back to the Southern Song Dynasty.
However, using the human body as a ritual implement was a very dangerous act, and even the Qingjing Sect, with its hundreds of years of history, had not been able to completely overcome the problems of Spell Inscriptions.
Most sorcerers didn’t choose the dangerous method of using their own bodies as ritual implements.
‘There are so many things to use, why my body? Why? If something goes wrong, it’s perfect for getting your Ki and blood twisted and becoming crippled, am I crazy?’ – that was the perception of sorcerers.
Instead, other sorcerers devised different means to solve the chronic problem of casting speed.
A typical example was an altar built on a dragon vein.
Li Zi-long had also demonstrated the unbelievable, transcendent power of sorcery through an altar built on the dragon vein of Mount Wansui.
However, the Qingjing Sect’s Spell Inscription was special.
Although it had various side effects, it possessed revolutionary casting speed and astonishing abilities.
Namgung-Woo roughly grasped that just by seeing it once.
“The rest?”
“Yes?”
“That’s not the only one, is it? Three of them? They’re connected to each other.”
“…That’s right. Three more… I have a total of four Spell Inscriptions engraved.”
Phoenix, Yinglong, Qilin, Spirit Turtle.
Myorin cast sorcery by engraving the tattoos of the Four Divine Beasts.
While Myorin was conflicted about whether to show the remaining three, Namgung-Woo nodded as if that was enough.
“That’s enough. I roughly understand. Put your Daoist robe back on. We can check your martial arts later, little by little.”
Although he said that, Namgung-Woo had already pretty much sized up Myorin’s level.
Four sorceries that could be activated instantly with just chants.
On top of that, her internal energy was not insignificant.
It didn’t feel lacking even compared to Peng Ha-ryeong, who was from a prestigious family, grew up eating quite a few spiritual herbs, and had all her body’s meridians opened thanks to Namgung-Woo.
At least a Peak Realm expert.
Even with martial arts alone, excluding sorcery, he thought she might be able to put up a good fight against Peng Ha-ryeong.
“Then… is it done?”
“Yes. With this, you are also a member of the Azure Sky Group. But don’t forget. The responsibility for what you did in Beijing doesn’t disappear. All I can do is share that burden.”
“That’s enough for me.”
Passing the test.
She had worried what would happen when Peng Ha-ryeong completely opposed her, but anyway, it was done.
Myorin herself had succeeded in riding on the back of the tiger named Namgung-Woo.
With a sense of relief from finding a way to survive, Myorin relaxed and swept her chest.
The deep sigh she let out revealed the relief she was feeling.
However, Myorin didn’t realize that it wasn’t over yet.
The Azure Sky Group that Myorin knew, which aimed to be an ordinary wanderer group, was already dead.
What remained was the Azure Sky Group that would become the foundation of the Namgung Family, Myorin didn’t know.
The kind Namgung-Woo personally made Myorin realize her ignorance.
“Let me introduce myself again. I am Namgung-Woo.”
“Myorin… Yes? Namgung, Woo, you say…?”
“Yes. Namgung-Woo.”
Namgung-Woo grinned.
And conversely, Myorin’s bright expression gradually hardened.
Revealing his name meant that he had no intention of hiding it anymore.
That meant he was also prepared to confront the Dugu Family.
If, however, Myorin were to leak his name before Namgung-Woo revealed it to the world, Namgung-Woo would then gain a legitimate reason to cast Myorin aside, no longer considering her a lifesaver.
‘The one on a leash was… me?’
Perhaps she had entered a wolf’s den while trying to avoid a tiger?
Although there was no place as dreadful as the Imperial Family, there was at least a glimmer of hope that they wouldn’t pursue her.
But under a Namgung, she would surely meet them.
The enemy called the Dugu Family.
“Don’t worry. I will never, ever forget that you saved my life.”
To Myorin, Namgung-Woo’s words sounded like this:
It was already too late to back out.
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Meanwhile, silence flowed in another room of the inn.
It was Hang-wi’s room, where Namgung-Woo had stayed.
Geum-shin, who had been guarding Hang-wi as he sat with his eyes closed in deep thought, stood up at the sound of voices from outside the window and closed it.
“It’s noisy outside. It seems they’re sparring or something.”
“…Geum-shin.”
“Ah, yes, Great Monk.”
“Soon, you will be thirty-one years old.”
It was the time just before the New Year.
Geum-shin, who would soon turn 31, replied yes to Hang-wi’s words.
Hang-wi’s words continued.
“Truly, much time has passed. You were just a young boy when I took you in, but now you’ve become such a dignified man…”
“Great Monk.”
“But it seems I am still the same as I was in those immature days.”
Hang-wi recalled his dealings with Namgung-Woo.
Along with his own complacent thought of considering him merely a comfortable guardian who would help Geum-shin, trapped in Hwaseong Temple, safely experience the martial world.
“My eyes were dim, and I misjudged a person. I thought he was ignorant of the world’s affairs, but conversely, he was quietly contemplating the world.”
Hang-wi muttered bitterly.
Yet, even to the end, Namgung-Woo maintained his courtesy.
Politely telling Hang-wi, who had tried to use him, that he was not the safe guardian he thought he was.
“It seems my eyes have also dimmed from staying only in Hwaseong Temple. Great Hero Nam is to become the eye of a typhoon that will bring a great incident to the martial world, and I tried to send you to him. Before long, the flow of the entire world will revolve around him.”
Why didn’t he know?
He must have seen it countless times, having lived for over half a century.
“It has always been like that. When those who reached the Peerless Realm at a young age revealed themselves to the world, the Nine Provinces would shake in response and cause turmoil.”
Like Mencius’s words, when heaven is about to entrust a great task to someone, it always gives them trials first.
Heaven’s favored children, born with the talent to shake the world, often brought about rough storms in the world.
The Blood Cult Calamity that occurred 50 years ago when Gwang-geuk Heonwon Kang had just entered the Peerless Realm was like that.
The Righteous-Unorthodox Great War that Hon-geuk Dan Un-ak initiated with his own hands 20 years ago when he appeared was like that.
“The Righteous Path has True Man Ha Gyeong, and the Unorthodox Path has the Moon Lord, but the world did not drastically change when they appeared.”
However, Namgung-Woo was different.
The Beijing Uprising where Namgung-Woo made his appearance.
And the subsequent Yunmeng Showdown.
Namgung-Woo’s path was the trajectory of a storm itself.
“Geum-shin.”
“Yes, Great Monk.”
“If you truly want to throw yourself into this rough martial world… follow Great Hero Nam.”
“However, the Leader said that even Hwaseong Temple could get involved…”
At Geum-shin’s words, Hang-wi smiled faintly.
“Hasn’t your heart already gone to him?”
What Geum-shin desired.
The life of a martial artist, fighting to his heart’s content.
But his origins in Hwaseong Temple and his status as a monk prevented that.
If Geum-shin had been someone who acted recklessly, he would have thrown away his sect and everything else and left, like those rogues of the Banun Clan, but Geum-shin couldn’t do that.
In the end, he followed the path given to him by Hwaseong Temple, which had raised him.
“You may leave. Did not Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva also refuse to become a Buddha and leave for the underworld? Is it necessary to become a monk? Even if you live as a martial artist, it is enough if you perform good deeds.”
At Hang-wi’s words, Geum-shin’s pupils trembled.
Though they had only spent a short time together, Geum-shin was sure.
Namgung-Woo didn’t speak empty words.
If he said it, it was true, or at least Namgung-Woo believed it to be true.
So, if he followed Namgung-Woo, Hwaseong Temple could also get entangled in some kind of incident.
“However, Hwaseong Temple…”
“Return to lay life.”
“Yes?”
“Why? If you return to lay life, do we break your dantian and sever your meridians like Shaolin over there?”
Hang-wi said playfully at Geum-shin’s dumbfounded question.
“Our Hwaseong Temple does not stop those who come, nor does it hold back those who leave. Our Hwaseong Temple was founded by Monk Kyogak, the incarnation of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva who came from faraway Haedong Silla. If he came from that far, it’s alright to look around this narrow Nine Provinces world for a bit.”
Hang-wi rose from his seat and approached Geum-shin.
“Then, when you feel you’ve seen enough of the martial world, come back then.”
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